American Sign Language: "Common ASL Sentence types"
ASL Sentence types: * "Wh" questions (whq) Nonmanual marker: The eyebrows are furrowed a bit (squeezed somewhat together) and the head moved slightly forward. Example: WHO INDEX-"he"? ("Who is that guy?")
* YES or NO" answer questions (y/n) Nonmanual marker: The eyebrows are raised a bit and the head slightly tilted forward. Example: YOU GO? (Are you going?)
* Declarative sentences (several types)
Affirmative Declarative sentences: Sign with a nodding of the head.
Example: "I WILL." (I'll do it.)
Negative Declarative sentences: Sign with a shaking of the head.
Example: "I can't."
Neutral Declarative sentences: Non-manual marker: Use a neutral head position and little or no shaking or nodding.
Example: INDEX-"I/me" GO STORE. ("I'm going to the store.")
* Conditional sentences. (if/then statements) Raise your eyebrows during the "if" part of the sentence, then use a declarative nod for the "then" part of the sentence. Example: TOMORROW RAIN? GAME CANCEL. (If it rains tomorrow, we will cancel the game.)
* Topicalized:
Topicalized Whq question:
Raise your eyebrows while establishing the topic. Then lower your eyebrows to ask the "Wh"-type question:
Example: CAR FRONT? WHO? [Explanation: Whose car is that out front?]
Topicalized statement:
Sign the topic with your eyebrows raised, then make a declarative statement.
Example: CAR FRONT? MY. (That car out front is mine.)
A "rhetorical question" in ASL uses the raised eyebrows (non-manual features / facial expressions) of a "yes/no question" because you are not actually asking "how to do something," but rather you are asking your conversation partner if he or she wants to know how to do something. It is a way of getting him or her to pay attention.
Rhetorical questions in ASL tend to use a with a slight tilt of the head and a raising of the eyebrows in combination with one of the following signs:
WHO, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, HOW, FOR-FOR, REASON, etc.
To use a rhetorical question, make a statement using neutral expressions, then ask a "wh"-type of question--but instead of having your eyebrows down--raise your eyebrows during the "wh" sign. Then answer your own question using either a head nod or a head shake depending on whether your answer is declarative or negative.
Example: INDEX-(he) FAIL CLASS, WHY? STUDY-(neg) (He failed class because he didn't study.)
A "rhetorical question" is a question that you ask for the purpose of keeping your audience awake. (Okay, so that isn't a dictionary definition, but trust me, that is what rhetorical questions are used for.)
A normal "wh-question" is: "How are we going to do it?"
A normal "yes/no question" is: "Do you want to know how we are going to do it?"
A rhetorical question is: "We are going to do it. How? By working together."
Now look at what we really mean with that rhetorical "how":
"We are going to do it. (Do you want to know) how? By working together."
The sentence, "Do you want to know how?" is generally answered with a "yes" or a "no" thus it is considered a "yes/no" question (in ASL) and so we raise our eyebrows when asking it.
(The sign "HOW" in the above sentence would have raised eyebrows and a slight tilt of the head.)
If I wanted to sign the sentence, "We have come to school so we can improve ourselves." I would sign, "WE COME HERE, WHY-(rhetorical)?, IMPROVE SELF-(horizontal sweeping motion.)
(The sign "WHY" in the above sentence would have raised eyebrows and a slight tilt of the head.)
English: "We couldn't afford to waste the ammo."
ASL: Use the nonmanual marker "carelessly" while using an instrument classifier "GUN" to demonstrate the shooting of a gun carelessly, CAN'T, WHY-(rhetorical)?, FRUGAL BULLETS.
(The sign "WHY" in the above sentence would have raised eyebrows and a slight tilt of the head.)
English: "We are doing to do this by buying five houses a year." ASL: "WE ACHIEVE HOW-(rhetorical)? BUY 5 HOUSE every-YEAR" (The sign "HOW" in the above sentence would have raised eyebrows and a slight tilt of the head.) Here we see that the concept of "by" can sometimes be expressed through the use of a rhetorical question: "HOW?" = "by."
ASL Structure
American Sign Language:
"Common ASL Sentence types"
ASL Sentence types:
* "Wh" questions (whq)
Nonmanual marker: The eyebrows are furrowed a bit (squeezed somewhat together) and the head moved slightly forward.
Example: WHO INDEX-"he"? ("Who is that guy?")
* YES or NO" answer questions (y/n)
Nonmanual marker: The eyebrows are raised a bit and the head slightly tilted forward.
Example: YOU GO? (Are you going?)
* Declarative sentences (several types)
- Affirmative Declarative sentences: Sign with a nodding of the head.
- Negative Declarative sentences: Sign with a shaking of the head.
- Neutral Declarative sentences: Non-manual marker: Use a neutral head position and little or no shaking or nodding.
Example: INDEX-"I/me" GO STORE. ("I'm going to the store.")Example: "I WILL." (I'll do it.)
Example: "I can't."
* Conditional sentences. (if/then statements)
Raise your eyebrows during the "if" part of the sentence, then use a declarative nod for the "then" part of the sentence.
Example: TOMORROW RAIN? GAME CANCEL. (If it rains tomorrow, we will cancel the game.)
* Topicalized:
- Topicalized Whq question:
Example: CAR FRONT? WHO? [Explanation: Whose car is that out front?]Raise your eyebrows while establishing the topic. Then lower your eyebrows to ask the "Wh"-type question:
Sign the topic with your eyebrows raised, then make a declarative statement.
Example: CAR FRONT? MY. (That car out front is mine.)
From:
http://lifeprint.com/asl101/topics/sentencetypes.htm
* Rhetorical Questions (rhet)
A "rhetorical question" in ASL uses the raised eyebrows (non-manual features / facial expressions) of a "yes/no question" because you are not actually asking "how to do something," but rather you are asking your conversation partner if he or she wants to know how to do something. It is a way of getting him or her to pay attention.
Rhetorical questions in ASL tend to use a with a slight tilt of the head and a raising of the eyebrows in combination with one of the following signs:
WHO, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, HOW, FOR-FOR, REASON, etc.
To use a rhetorical question, make a statement using neutral expressions, then ask a "wh"-type of question--but instead of having your eyebrows down--raise your eyebrows during the "wh" sign. Then answer your own question using either a head nod or a head shake depending on whether your answer is declarative or negative.
Example: INDEX-(he) FAIL CLASS, WHY? STUDY-(neg) (He failed class because he didn't study.)
(For more information, see: "Rhetorical Questions ►")
A "rhetorical question" is a question that you ask for the purpose of keeping your audience awake. (Okay, so that isn't a dictionary definition, but trust me, that is what rhetorical questions are used for.)
A normal "wh-question" is: "How are we going to do it?"
A normal "yes/no question" is: "Do you want to know how we are going to do it?"
A rhetorical question is: "We are going to do it. How? By working together."
Now look at what we really mean with that rhetorical "how":
"We are going to do it. (Do you want to know) how? By working together."
The sentence, "Do you want to know how?" is generally answered with a "yes" or a "no" thus it is considered a "yes/no" question (in ASL) and so we raise our eyebrows when asking it.
Normal "Wh-questions" use "furrowed eyebrows."
Normal "Yes/no questions" use "raised eyebrows."
Rhetorical "Wh-questions" use "raised eyebrows."
From:
http://lifeprint.com/asl101/topics/rhetorical-questions.htm
Example of a rhetorical:
English: She passed her class! How? She paid the teacher.
ASL: "SHE PASS CLASS, HOW-(rhetorical)? PAY TEACHER.
(The sign "HOW" in the above sentence would have raised eyebrows and a slight tilt of the head.)
If I wanted to sign the sentence, "We have come to school so we can improve ourselves." I would sign, "WE COME HERE, WHY-(rhetorical)?, IMPROVE SELF-(horizontal sweeping motion.)
(The sign "WHY" in the above sentence would have raised eyebrows and a slight tilt of the head.)
English: "We couldn't afford to waste the ammo."
ASL: Use the nonmanual marker "carelessly" while using an instrument classifier "GUN" to demonstrate the shooting of a gun carelessly, CAN'T, WHY-(rhetorical)?, FRUGAL BULLETS.
(The sign "WHY" in the above sentence would have raised eyebrows and a slight tilt of the head.)
English: "We are doing to do this by buying five houses a year."
ASL: "WE ACHIEVE HOW-(rhetorical)? BUY 5 HOUSE every-YEAR"
(The sign "HOW" in the above sentence would have raised eyebrows and a slight tilt of the head.)
Here we see that the concept of "by" can sometimes be expressed through the use of a rhetorical question: "HOW?" = "by."